Preventing a bed bug infestation

You cannot make yourself immune to bed bugs, but you can sharply reduce the risk and above all detect them very early — which changes everything about the cost and length of an intervention.

At home

• Keep the bed away from the wall and avoid sheets and blankets touching the floor.
• Store nothing under the bed: it is the hardest area to inspect.
• Reduce clutter, especially in the bedroom: fewer hiding places, better detection.
• Fit bed bug encasements on the mattress and box spring, even without an infestation.
• Inspect the bed and mattress seams every few weeks, with a light.
• Wash and dry bedding on high heat regularly.

With second-hand items

Inspect everything that enters your home and has been used before: mattresses, box springs, sofas, armchairs, dressers, frames, books. Look at seams, screws, corners and the underside. When in doubt, do not bring the item into the bedroom: keep it in the entrance or garage while you check.

While travelling

Five minutes of inspection on arrival is usually enough. See our dedicated page: travelling without bringing bed bugs back.

In an apartment

If a neighbour is affected, keep the bed away from the walls, report any clue to the landlord or manager, and ask for adjacent units to be inspected. Treating a single unit often fails: see buildings and managers.

When moving

• Use new boxes or washable plastic bins rather than salvaged cardboard.
• Inspect the new home before moving your furniture in.
• Wash and dry bedding and clothing on high heat before putting them away in the new place.

Early detection, your best tool

A visual check of the bed every few weeks takes two minutes. An infestation caught at the very start is settled far faster than one discovered six months later.